For Once Harry's Actually Sick
by jrose452
Summary: After trying to get along with his cousin, a Slytherin Harry ends up with Remus, Sirius and the Weasleys getting very sick. While other members of the order try to get there head around Harry's odd friends. Set when Harry's 15. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I don't own any of the Harry Potter Character's I just like to play with them and get them to do as I want. I certainly don't make any money from this although I whish I did coz I'm a poor sod of a student in desperate need of coffee to keep me up and writing. Ah well, please read and review. I'm not a big fan of flames as I easily get sunburnt.

This is rated T for some use of fowl language that I wouldn't say to my mother.

This is just a little something I put together amongst many other little ideas as to what a Slytherin Harry Potter would be like. We all go there at some point, just can't help ourselves can we. Well this is one of mine.

Harry Catches Wizarding Meningitis - Chapter one

"Remus. What's the matter?" Sirius mumbled having come out to see Harry and found him dangling over Podmore's shoulder.

"Shut that door before Molly gets here and sees him and help me get him upstairs. Here grab his waist he aint heavy." Remus whispered quickly staggering down the hall to the stairs with Sirius as every one else in the guard started to file in behind them.

"What's the matter with him?" Sirius wondered getting hold of Harry who seemed to be completely unable to work out how his legs worked.

"Sirius smell him!' Remus grumbled leaving Harry's case in the hallway and then starting on the stairs just as Molly came out.

'Just take him upstairs Sirius." Remus muttered turning back to Molly.

"Harry's err. Well he's tired so Sirius is going to show him where he can sleep."

"He didn't look very well."

"Not half." Podmore muttered heading into sit down just glad Harry hadn't actually vomited down his back mid flight. In fact Remus was surprised he managed the whole trip without puking on someone he looked green when they started but they had to get him back some how.

"Well Remus. Let me see him if he's not well. I can mix him something up then."

"That won't be necessary Molly he's just tired. Bit of sleep..."

"And coffee!" Tonks added helpfully slipping behind Molly's back with a grin back at Remus.

"Well he'll be fine. I'll err see you later Molly." Remus finally decided and turned to head up stairs after Sirius and now vomiting Harry over the bath.

"How did he get in this mess?"

"Well his cousin was past out on the sofa when we got there. I think they binged on a couple of bottles of cooking brandy judging by the smell. I couldn't believe the state of him when we found him laid on the bottom of the stairs singing. But it's not fair to let Molly get her hands on him, however much this is his own fault now is it?" Remus added helping Sirius pull Harry out of his now vomit soaked clothes. Sirius merely laughed when he finally got Harry's head out his t-shirt.

"How many times did you do this for James?" He chuckled.

"God don't remind me. Makes me feel old this. I don't feel so bad when he looks like a little boy but now. You left home after the first couple of times of ending up like this."

"Yeah I know. I should have some stuff to sober him up in the cabinet over there.' Sirius explained as Harry now turned and puked over the side of the bath again.

'Come on you drink this? Your have a horrid headache otherwise tomorrow." Sirius sighed tipping the contents of the bottle down Harry's neck and starting on a glass of water.

"Err, are we going to stick him in your bed?"

"He puked on my bed Remus!" Sirius grumbled, he'd just given his sheets there monthly clean as well.

"Ah he really is like James then!" Remus laughed heading into the bedroom and clearing the spare bed of Sirius's somewhat suspicious looking clothes before putting clean sheets on it.

Sirius half dragged Harry, half carried him to the bed and then pulling a clean t-shirt out his case plonked him in the bed.

"Hmmm."

"Yes Harry. Your drunk, now go to sleep."

"Hmmm."

"Harry sleep."

"Sirius bucket." Remus put in quickly passing Sirius a bucket as Harry barely got his head in it in time before puking up all Sirius's water and sobering hard work.

"Well you can't have drunk that much more."

"You can sit with him. Not my godchild!" Remus grinned leaving Sirius with the smell of brandy vomit and sweaty Harry laid out on the bed now practically out cold.

"Oi! Stay!"

"Nope, order meeting.' Remus grinned heading down stairs.

'Besides you were the one so smug about getting to be his godfather in the first place!" Sirius merely groaned at this as Harry burped loudly after been sick and continued in his unconscious state.

"Remus you've got vomit on your sleeve." Tonks explained as he headed into the room. The Weasley kids had now all be sent to bed and Mrs Weasley was pacing about waiting for information.

"Oh Harry." He sighed realising and feeling really embarrassed it had to be Tonks who pointed it out.

"Is Harry ill then?" Mrs Weasley pressed.

"No he just puked." Remus mumbled heading into the kitchen to pull his jumper off and clean it properly.

"Well what's the matter with him then? If he's throwing up and things he's hardly well is he."

"Nothings the matter with him, he's just tired."

"Harry's drunk isn't he?" Bill explained calmly from the corner.

"How did you know?" Podmore wondered.

"I can tell the smell of alcohol induced vomit from a mile away!"

"How?" Podmore wondered surprised Bill had cottoned on so quickly but he merely made a loud gesture towards his little brother standing next to him and all became plainly clear.

"Fair point!" Charlie had even turned up to an order meeting more than a little tipsy so Bill had sat him in the corner quietly, barely even awake and then carried him home afterwards.

"Did Sirius give him that potion I told him about?"

"Yeah but he just puked it back up. He'll be fine in the morning, he's out cold now!" Remus explained.

"I'll go lend me expertise." Charlie explained brightly and disappeared out the room before anyone could stop him.

"He is very knowledgeable about such things!" Mr Weasley sighed tiredly well aware of how many times Bill looked after a drunk Charlie so he didn't have to.

"Morning Harry." Sirius called brightly seeing Harry's squashed little eyes finally open from under the sheets.

"Arrgh." Harry groaned and laid his head back down quickly.

"Yep, that would be a hang-over Harry. You do have a habit of getting them after binging on a bottle of cooking brandy with your cousin."

"Why are you so smug? My head hurts!" He groaned painfully.

"Here drink this, it'll take the sting out a bit. And then drink some water it's time to get up."

"No, stay in bed!" Harry mumbled shuffling down a bit under the covers again.

"Harry drink!" Sirius commanded yanking Harry's sheets off him and the poking him into a seated position so he could drink the potion Sirius had giggled through mixing up for him. Remus thought he was mad but Sirius actually liked Harry in this state as it was a state Sirius knew exactly how to fix it.

"My stomach hurts Sirius."

"It will do. But don't worry you've been asleep quiet a while so you'll feel a bit brighter in a bit.'

'So why did we get in this state then?"

"Arggh go away." Harry tried to lay back down.

"No Harry, I'll show a bit of mercy and not subject you to the delights of Molly Weasley...But' Harry merely groaned at this, he had a horrible feeling she might be here as well.

'But Harry, why did we binge drink last night then with our cousin?"

"I don't know."

"Well there must have been a reason I go the impression you and your cousin do nothing but scrap all the time."

"Well we normally do but he was a bit pissed off and I went and sat with him out the back. We had a bit of a smoke of his...err." Harry faulted now, he wasn't really in a good enough relationship to judge how Sirius might take such a piece of information and cursed himself for letting slip.

"You smoked weed didn't you Harry?"

"How do you...?"

"Actually I didn't, but Charlie could tell from the smell of your clothes."

"He could?"

"Yeah, apparently it was quiet poor quality what you smelt of. Well after that then what?"

"Well, we were chatting, he wouldn't let me have much so stop giving me that look. And then he started on me aunts brandy and we were chatting about stuff, an he was a bit curious about a few things that normally he's never allowed to ask about so I told him coz me aunt and uncle weren't there. They'd gone out for another of those free dinners they always seemed to win around now."

"How come Dudley didn't go?"

"Dud normally stops out with his friends till midnight."

"You got in that state in two hours?" Sirius asked a little shocked.

"No he came home early and I was just sat about with nothing to do and I wasn't allowed to eat anything. I didn't think you'd be coming, I mean it's not like you gave me any warning now is it. I write to you and then you don't write back!' Harry complained crossly but Sirius gave him such a confused look Harry couldn't work it out so continued talking about Dudley to fill the silence.

'Then he asked about some other stuff. I used to talk in my sleep but apparently now I just sort of grumble and moan and stuff. Like I'm having weird dreams every night rather than just nightmares every few days or weeks like before. I didn't realise I talked so much in me sleep!"

"And..."

"I don't know, I can't remember. And stop giving me that look." Harry finished crossly.

"What look?"

"That smug look as if your trying to make out you never got drunk!"

"Not at 15 I didn't."

"Err correction, yes at 15 Sirius! And yes many, many times when you were 16 and even more when you were 17." Remus added helpfully around the door frame.

"See. Remus knows."

"Although you weren't as bad as Harry was at 15. You could at least walk by yourself even if it wasn't in a line or anything. Here I brought you something to eat." Remus explained putting a plate of jam and toast down on the side. The smell of food just made Harry feel crap but after giving him ten minuets of laying down feeling ill Sirius made him eat some.

"Harry are you sure your okay?" Sirius wondered across the dinner table to his rather pale looking godchild. After breakfast Harry had gone for a shower and put clean clothes on and although he did look brighter, Sirius was suspicious that it was just because he was clean.

"I'm fine it's just a headache. It'll pass in a bit."

"Is it still the same one from this morning?"

"Yeah, comes and goes. I'm just a bit tired that's all." Harry shrugged not wanting to make a fuss after he'd had Mrs Weasley going on at him at dinner time.

"Well if you spend all night drinking then what do you expect! Honestly behaving in that manner at a time like this." Mrs Weasley snapped flopping a dumpling extra hard on the plate so it splat everywhere. Throwing Harry an irritated look that everything was his fault and still furious Sirius had let her believe Harry was ill when really he was just blind drunk and puking all over the place.

Harry was still feeling rather sheepish about the whole incident having discovered he did throw up all over Sirius's bed when his godfather was trying to get him to the bathroom to sober him up a bit. He was sure he's said something awful to him, and now he just didn't want to make a fuss about feeling ill when he assumed he was probably still hung-over. There was the nagging thought though that he'd felt really ill before he started on the binge with Dudley and perhaps that was why he felt so ill now. But didn't want to mention that either to Sirius. He had been meaning to talk about some awful headaches he gets from time to time at the moment but had decided to wait until this had all blown over a bit first.

"Harry your looking a bit pale you know."

"I'm fine Sirius. I think I might just go to bed." Harry mumbled looking down at his pile of stodgy tea and instantly started to feel absolutely wretched. Pushing it away he pulled his shoes back on and pushed his chair out.

"I don't care if your hung-over Harry! You can eat your tea!" Mrs Weasley snapped putting her serving spoon down with a snap that cracked through Harry's head like she'd just punched him.

"I don't feel like it." Harry grumbled grabbing his jumper.

"I don't care what you feel like. Harry, eat your tea!"

"No, you never care about what I feel do you. And I'm not eating it, I'm going to bed!" Harry finally decided getting out into the cold air of the landing and immediately started to feel the chill hit him hard.

"Go on Harry you'll feel better for a sleep." Sirius added leaning back on his chair and closing it behind him. He didn't care what Mrs Weasley grunted on about. Harry should be looking far better than this by now. James had always perked up the next day by dinner time and by now was quiet happy to start drinking again and Harry just seemed to look worse.

There was a meeting tonight which was why tea was been forced on a bit early again and Sirius was in two minds as to whether he wanted to leave Harry on his own for the night or not. The Weasley boys weren't exactly known for been overly helpful with Harry and Ginny just seemed to blush a bit and run out the room.

"You shouldn't fuss over him Sirius. He doesn't deserve it, getting in that state. He'll never learn otherwise, it's just not acceptable behaviour, and at his age. That's a spiral down a very dodgy track he's on. And if doesn't watch it I don't know what sort of mess he'll end up getting himself into."

"Oh shut up you old hag. It's not as if your sons are little angels. So he got drunk with his cousin. What's the big deal, at least they weren't scrapping for a change? And it's not like he rolled out of bed the next day and had no idea who it was next to him. Wasn't that Charlie's latest little trouble, or was it Percy's?"

"Humph!"

After dinner Sirius still not resolved as to what to headed up to see Harry and make his finally decision. When he got into the room he smelt the faint signs of Harry's vomit and discovered that at least it was in the toilet this time. Flushing it away he sat on the bed next to Harry's sleeping body. Maybe with some decent sleep he'll feel a bit brighter and just had a slightly more delicate stomach than his father. That or the fact that he probably hadn't been sleeping to well recently judging by the two letters Harry had sent, clearly he'd tried to write them as confusing as possible so no one would understand him. But the only thing Sirius could make out was that Harry couldn't understand what was going off in the world and couldn't understand what was going off in his head. Both things Dumbledore had practically forbidden to tell him about especially in a letter.

Pulling the tight knot of sheets back it was clear Harry was shivering a little but it was also clear he was burning up and sweating like mad. Pulling the sheets back some more Sirius had a good feel of Harry's neck like he was told to when he checked Harry had enough blankets as a baby in his cot. Harry was really warm to touch. Too warm. Pulling the sheets back some more he rolled Harry on to his back and conjured up a bowl of water and a cloth to try and cool him down a bit.

Dabbing at his neck and open chest Harry continued to sweat and shiver like this for the next half and hour.

"Hay Sirius. Meetings starting soon are you coming down?"

"No." Sirius replied flatly.

"Harry ok?" Remus wondered coming in properly.

"No, I don't think he is. Look he's burning up!" Sirius explained moving aside so Remus could come and see Harry's sweaty face scrunched up and bright red as he continued squirming, fast to sleep.

"That's... How long has he been like this?"

"Well he hasn't looked right all day has he but at tea time he suddenly went pale and headed off to bed. I found him like this afterwards and I've been trying to cool him down with the water but it's not working very well."

"Get him to drink some Sirius." Remus decided quickly making a cool glass appear on the table. Sirius hadn't tried this yet so gently lifted Harry's head and shoulders up as Remus came round the other side to poor the water down his neck. Harry coughed at it at first but they got some in before laying him back down on the bed and pulling the sheets open some more.

"What's that?" Sirius wondered pulling at Harry's t-shirt a bit. He tried looking down the neck hole but couldn't see well and then lifted his top up to see a dark red rash on his chest while the rest of his skin had gone either very white of with patches of red where Harry had tried to scratch at it in his sleep.

"Your right, he's definitely not well. I think Hestia's in tonight. I'll get her to come and see him, keep trying to cool him down with the cloth. I'm sure she won't mind just looking at him for five minuets."

"Ah Remus good. We're nearly ready to start."

"Err, can I borrow Hestia for a few minuets."

"Harry is not that ill. Give him some water and get him to sleep. He'll sober up perfectly fine like everyone else. There's nothing to fuss over!"

"Molly let Hestia be the judge of that." Remus decided holding the door open. Hestia wasn't quiet sure, part of her agreed with Molly. Sirius may just be over reacting over Harry for something to do. But there was something in Remus's manner that suggested he would never be so almost blatantly rude with Molly if he wasn't actually worried about something.

"What's the matter with Harry then? We all got the story he got himself drunk and you had to tie him to his broom to get him hear."

"Actually we tied him to Podmore to get him here. He was drunk at the time but now he's sober. He's just not right. He's got a rash on his chest and he's been burning up all evening and puking all day. He should have been perfectly fine by mid morning with what Sirius and Charlie gave him last night. It's not alcohol making him like this Hesita what ever Molly thinks." Remus explained starting down the landing to Sirius's room where Harry had semi-taken over now.

"Sirius how is he?" Hestia wondered taking her wand out and moving round to the other side of the bed.

"Sort of awake now. He's a bit lost at the minuet though."

"Hmm. Sirius." Harry half mumbled.

"Here Harry. Try and drink some more of this." Sirius explained lifting him up as Hestia started to have a good look at the rash on Harry's chest while Sirius tipped some water down his neck again.

Laying him back down Hesita ripped the t-shirt off completely and conjured up some cold bags to put around Harry. Clearly the careful approach of Sirius's wasn't going to get him cool enough. Harry really was burning up quiet a lot now.

"Harry how long have you been feeling ill?" Hesita asked firmly opening his eyes to see his pin prick pupils and sweaty face.

"Hmm." Harry grumbled painfully.

"Harry. Can you hear me? How long have you been feeling ill?" Harry however didn't answer as his head fell limp again on the pillow.

"He said he's been having headaches for a few days now. Looked more like a migraine today though, he just seemed to want to lay down in his bed."

"Has he been squinting a lot and keeping out of bright lights?"

"Yeah a bit I guess."

"Right.' She decided firmly standing up and looking about.

'Sirius get him in his bed clothes and then find his slippers and a jumper. Then rap him up in a blanket and make sure it doesn't have something daft like the Black family crest on it or anything stupid like that."

"Where are you taking him?"

"The hospital."

"Can we do that with Harry?" Remus wondered as Sirius started peeling sweaty clothes off Sirius.

"Sirius I think he's got third grade wizarding meningitis. He really has to go to the hospital. I'm going to go get a hold of Hagrid. I think he's in tonight and someone's going to have to carry Harry. He can barely stand like this never mind walk there." Hesita hurried down stairs as Remus tried to give Sirius a look as if to say, Potters are pains in the arse Harry will be fine, but it failed on the crucial point that James clearly wasn't fine any more and Harry looked far from it.

"Is Hagrid in yet?" Hesita asked pushing the door open and rushing into the room wand still out.

"I'm here." Hagrid boomed out. He didn't often attend meetings but tonight was about the recent giant problems and Hagrid had the most experience with them.

"Err, I need your help. Your giantess stops you from getting more wizarding sicknesses doesn't it?" She asked plainly. Hagrid looked a bit confused at first but answered all the same.

"Well yeah."

"Good I need you to carry Harry for me."

"Carry Harry, where?"

"Can someone call Fawkes for me?"

"No need Hestia I am here myself now."

"Oh good. Harry needs to go to the hospital and someone has to take him. I can't bring him in, I'm not supposed to know him well am I. But Remus can't really carry him that far on his own and there's no way he's going to manage walking any where."

"Harry is not that ill surely. Bit of rest he'll be fine." Molly muttered.

"Molly he can barely stand, his temperatures over a hundred now and he's covered in a rash. He hasn't had his potions or his shots so it could be anything but judging by how quick the rash spread over him and how pale he looks, I'd guess he's got third grade wizarding meningitis and if we don't get him to the hospital and cool him down his brain is just going to fry. So Hagrid?"

"Yeah I'm on it." Hagrid grumbled quickly as everyone moved right out his way to let him past and up the stairs. Dumbledore followed quickly afterwards as they came up to Sirius's bedroom.

"Here let me get him."

"Sirius he's not rapped up." Hestia snapped sure it was a simple enough request of Sirius. Everyone knew he liked things simple at the moment.

"We tried he just got hotter and hotter and started squirming to much." Sirius explained having Harry half dressed with the blanket and jumper spread out around him sweating away. Hestia conjured up some wet cold cloths and rapped them round his chest and physically bundled Harry up despite him starting to squirm and mumble in painful protest at the heat he was been forced to endure.

She strapped another cold cloth across his head to help matters as Hagrid picked him easily up as a tight knotted bundle and started towards the stairs as several Weasley faces watched on from the landing above.

"Remus, Moody, go with him. Podmore, take Moody's cloak and sit in on the ward with him. Don't let yourself be seen though."

"It's not wise us been so few."

"Anymore will draw too much attention to him. I'll come along later tonight to see him. Moody watch carefully what ever they are doing to him but don't interfere too much."

"Let me go separately. I can blend in better." Tonks added quickly.

"Ok!"

"My shift starts at 6am so I'll try and get on to his ward. Someone will swap I'm sure. By then they should have him on a normal word. Well hopefully."

"What do you mean should have?"

"Sirius he could get infected with something else because he's already so weak. He'll be fine though as soon as they manage to cool him down more. Now Hagrid, take him into the main centre, go to straight to the emergency section, show them the rash on his chest and then tell them that he hasn't had his potions and that he's been burning up like this for over 4 hours."

"Rightcha."

"You might have a bit of trouble for line jumping but show him to someone in green robes and they'll take him right through."

"Here Moody have his wand." Sirius past it over quickly and looking longingly down at Harry's sweaty face scrunching up again and sweat poring off him.

"Go on. Don't tell them where he's come from I'll sort that out." Dumbledore added as Remus opened up the door and Moody heading out first Hagrid followed with Harry tightly rapped up in his arms before Remus headed off and Sirius waited, watching for as long as he could before bolting it up after them.

The three men headed straight into town, there were a few odd souls about the place but it was quiet quite so they easily made it to the opening to the wizarding hospital. Moody opened it up for them and just as they walked through a man with his face half burnt followed them in quickly.

"Over there Hagrid." Moody grumbled as Hagrid strode firmly with his bundle towards the emergency ward.

"You can't come in here go back and join the queue."

"No, you need to look at him." Hagrid explained.

"No you can go back and join the queue and wait you turn."

"Look at him now!" Moody grumbled, the little witch looked him in the human eye and feeling a little prickle run down her spine. Hagrid had now completely forgotten what he was supposed to say so Remus stepped in as Hargrid held Harry down a bit so the women could see and Remus opened the blankets.

"See the rash, he's been burning up like this for several hours and he hasn't had any of the potions he should of when he was growing up. He's not got any of the immunities." Remus explained the women pulled the now steadily warming cloths off Harry and past them to Remus before conjuring up some bigger ones she laid them on Harry's chest.

"Wait here." She commanded and got hold of a higher healer and a porter with a bed. Hagrid moved over towards the bed.

"Lay him down on here lets get these blankets off." Hagrid laid him down and the two healers quickly stripped him down to his bedding bottoms and boxers Sirius had got him in and then past the bundle over to Hagrid the whole lot was already wet with sweat. The porter wheeled them into an emergency room as the two healers started packing ice bags around Harry as high as they could.

"How old is he?"

"15."

"You say he hasn't had his potions why?"

"Harry normally lives with muggles."

"Well didn't he have the muggle shots?"

"No. He had the things he was supposed to up until his first birthday but after that he never got them." Remus explained. Moody watched about the room from behind and Remus and Hagrid watched Harry's hot body get stripped down.

"His name's Harry is it?"

"Yeah."

"Who are his parents?.. Wait a minuet." She faulted opening Harry's eyes to have a look at his pupils and took a step back to see the scar shinning out in hot sweat.

"Yes it's Harry Potter."

"Err, who can sign for him? He needs a guardian."

"We're best he's got." Hagrid put in firmly.

"The school can sign for him can't they?"

"Err, well I guess. Strictly speaking it's the holidays."

"So, he's still at school. Well he will be when he goes back in September and he hasn't really got anyone else."

"Yes that should be fine. Not you. It has to be a registered wizard." She put in firmly towards Hagrid.

"I'm a teacher." He grumbled.

"Dumbledore's coming to see him." Remus explained sure that if they won't have a half giant they probably wouldn't have a werewolf either sign for Harry and definitely not a semi-murderous convict.

"He'll do, now you'll have to move back a bit we need the space." The more senior healer commanded as they set to work trying to cool him down with ice and coolant draft before they could even get the medical potion in him.

"I think he's waking up." Remus wondered as Hagrid leaned over from his spot in the chair. He didn't want to sit down but the healers had brought an extra large chair in so they could put him out the way next to Harry as clearly he had no intention of going anywhere.

"Should we get someone."

"I'm here.' The elder Healer explained.

'Harry, are you awake." There was a mumbled reply that sounded a bit like yes.

"Harry I need you to drink this." She explained opening a bottle of potion and lifting his head up off the high pillows to pour it down his neck. Harry coughed at the liquid but the healer well used to this semi-choking reaction easily got it down Harry. He was propped up on the bed with his chest exposed and various ice bags still around him. So far he'd done nothing but sweat, grumble and squirm from the heat.

After he's swallowed Harry laid quiet still for a few minuets before trying to open his eyes again.

"Where am I?"

"Your in the hospital Harry. You aren't very well." Remus explained softly.

"Where is he, I was talking to him?" Harry mumbled lazily, Remus was about to get a bit worried about who Harry was going to start asking for but he apparently dozed back off again.

Remus needn't of worried so much about Harry rambling about Sirius as he was right, no one could ever make out what he was trying to say when he was asleep and within 15 minuets later he was burning up again and everyone seemed to be rushing around to get his brain cooled down again.

Although he really didn't want to, Remus was dead on his feet with the up coming full moon and one or two of the neighbouring healers working noticed his symptoms and the two or three potions he downed in the course of the night. He knew this was going to be one of those places where the obvious symptoms of 'werewolf' would be noticed far too easily. There was no hiding it from this lot he was sure, as they probably dealt with fresh werewolves every now and then on this ward.

By morning just after dawn he was dead on his feet and definitely looked it so Moody sent him home to Sirius with the news that Harry was out of the worst of it and was going to get moved on to a normal ward when the shift changed.

It was the best they could do for good news to Sirius at the moment but Moody got the feeling Remus wouldn't deliver it in a very good way and would possibly show just how worried they had been about Harry for a while when four different healers were rushing around try to get him cool again.

Aside from the shock of not having had any of his potions and then the decision that he was definitely malnourished with a cracked rib and a belt mark across the bottom of his back, they came to the conclusion he was definitely a fighter and would eventually pull through.

Remus hadn't decided yet whether he should tell Sirius about the belt mark, the cracked rib he could probably deal with. Harry could have just fallen over or been squabbling with his cousin again or something but the belt mark would show too much deliberate malice on probably his uncles part for Sirius to be able to cope with. So far Remus had failed to mention the binging incident to the healers as clearly a werewolf in the hospital was bad enough for them. Remus felt this was really unfair given his company, Moody was a scary person to meet all of a sudden on the best of days and Hagrid was hardly dainty in comparison.

"Remus your back. Why?" He snapped looking still a bit frazzled having clearly not to sleep at all.

"I'm tired, they didn't take kindly to me slumping about the place so Hagrid and Moody are sat with him. Tonks is playing nurse in the bed next to him and Podmore's got himself wedged between a plant pot and a bin opposite. Dumbledore just arrived when I left."

"You ok."

"Give us an arm. I'm knackered."

"Remus, news!" Sirius explained helping his annoyingly quiet friend into the living room and sitting him down on the sofa. Quiet a few faces were still about waiting to here some news but clearly Sirius and Molly were the most impatient.

"Well he's not well. But he's doing better now so he's going on to regular ward, well about now actually. They were just about to move him when I left."

"Was it, was it what Hestia said?"

"Yeah apparently it's lucky she recognised it and we took him in when he did. He just got hotter and hotter on the way there and they practically smothered him in ice to get him cool again. The rash has got, err well it's spread all down his legs and across his torso. His back's pretty bad but he doesn't seem to notice at the minuet. The trouble..."

"What?"

"Well it's attacking his nervous system Sirius. That's what the headaches were about. To him it's like his spines on fire but his skin feels cold all the time to him even if it's really hot. So they've pumped him full of cooling draft and then pumped him full of pain killers so he can sleep. Then when he's cool enough there going to start him on the medical potions. They can't get it in him yet because he just pukes it back up again with the heat. Then the more they can get in him without him puking from the heat, the quicker he'll get better and stop burning up all the time and then they'll change the potions to sort out the actual meningitis attacking his nervous system. Best case scenario he's up and about and well within a week or so and then he can go home but he'll need to rest when he does."

"Worst case scenario Remus?!" Sirius pressed.

"He won't walk again."

"WON'T WALK!"

"Sirius it won't come to that now. He's in the hospital it's just if he wasn't, then it would have done too much damage for the healers to fix."

"But it won't come to that?" Sirius pressed again.

"No coz he's in the hospital and he's completely pie eyed on allsorts and the cooling draft will stop him from getting any worse so he's only going to get better now."

"Pie eyed?" Ginny piped up.

"He's so full of painkiller he doesn't really know what's going off at the minuet. We aren't exactly sure where he thinks he is but he doesn't seem to realise he's in a hospital bed."

"Whish I could go see him!" Sirius grumbled slouching down in his chair.

"Yeah I know. Well he sort of tried asking for you."

"Some one best stop him from saying anything too dangerous. If he starts rambling on about things he shouldn't."

"No well, they gave him something to calm him down again and Hagrid and Moody are there to stop him from shouting or anything. And he never quiet got to saying your name either time when he asked for you."

"Why, what happened?"

"Well Sirius came out as vomit."

"He said vomit."

"No he puked again, the first time it went all down Hagrid's sleeve. He's worse than James."

"Is he going to be ok Lupin?"

"Yeah he'll be fine in a while. Might be an idea to find a way to get Draco to go visit him though, when he's more himself again." Remus explained.

"I can get Tonks to sort that out."

"Is he in a lot of pain?" Ginny pressed on.

"He's not aware of much Ginny."

"But when he is, will he be?"

"Probably will be for a while but they'll keep him dosed up until it passes."

"Is it something anyone else can catch?' Charlie wondered and got an odd look from a few people.

'What, it's a concern, I mean if anyone's going to catch it it'll be Sirius and it's not like Hagrid can just carry him in to St Mungo's now is it!" Charlie sighed.

"No, well Harry is very contagious but you've all had your potions haven't you?"

"Yes all mine have had everything." Mrs Weasley decided firmly to show she did everything a good mother should do.

"Werewolf makes me immune and all the aura's are topped up with allsorts."

"What about you Sirius?"

"Fuck, I could carry the plague and it wouldn't affect me." Sirius shrugged.

"Sirius language."

"You did didn't you? I never got that. I don't think I've seen you sick, well ever."

"I don't remember ever been sick. Never when I was at school, and well, no I don't think I ever have been sick with anything. I don't even get a cold very often."

"God no wonder you're still alive. Anyway, I'm going to nick Ron's bed for a few hours."

"Charlie!"

"Shut up you I'm older."

"Why don't you kick the twins out?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"There bigger than me!" Charlie grumbled heading out the room and up the stairs. Strictly speaking Ron was as big as the twins were now and all three of them were nearly taller than Charlie now.

"Well I'm going to bed too for a while. I'll go see Harry this afternoon but it's full moon tonight so fix me door will you Sirius?" Remus grumbled trying to get to his feet until Sirius gave him a push and a tug to get him up the stairs.

"Fine I'll fix your door, but you've got to stop head butting the dam thing you know. I'm running out of wood."

"Hay." Harry mumbled looking about to see Hagrid's hairy face looking back at him. He still had some ice packed around him and could feel the left over dried sweat coving him but felt better than he had done he was sure.

"You ok Harry."

"Yeah."

"Can you tell me what my name is?"

"Pansy.' Harry decided firmly.

'Just kidding, I know it's you Hagrid." Harry smiled back him seeing Hagrid more than just a little pleased Harry was just kidding about this time.

"Ah, well good."

"Am I in the hospital Hagrid?"

"Yeah Harry."

"What's wrong with me?"

"You've got meningitis Harry."

"Oh.' This seemed to come as a bit of a surprise to Harry as he moved his head up to look down at his spotty chest.

'Errgh Acne!"

"Ah good your awake."

"Err, hello." Harry mumbled not sure who he's looking at in long green robes at the end of his bed.

"Here Harry." Moody grumbled taking Harry's glasses out of a case in his pocket. Remus had decided that Moody was less likely to sit on them than Hagrid was.

"So then Harry. How do you feel?"

"Dandy." Harry smiled but then stopped, flinching as pain soared into the front of his head from the back.

"Not so dandy then. Where does it hurt?" She asked coming around to the opposite side to Hagrid and leaning over Harry.

"Me head, and me back. And generally anywhere where I've got limbs!"

"Yeah you will ache all over for a while. What about the spots are they itchy yet?"

"Err, little bit now you mention it. I didn't notice before."

"Well when you get to the stage where you can't stop yourself from scratching we'll start putting some cooling lotion on them. Now then, you're surprisingly lucky these men brought you in when they did. Any longer and you may have fried."

"Yeah I'm often a bit lucky at the last minuet." Harry sighed feeling a bit sleepy again.

"Well, your luck seems to have lasted out and you should be able to go home in about a fortnight. You'll feel tired though for quiet a while until you get your full strength back."

"Great!" Harry groaned, the prospect of home, Dudley and his moods sounded just perfect when he was feeling crap.

It wasn't until later when he remembered did he realise that, 'go home' may actually mean go to Sirius's and so half way through his dinner he suddenly perked up all of a sudden.

"See your getting a bit of colour back in your cheeks now you got some grub." Hagrid grinned seeing Harry doing his best with the potato salad. He didn't manage to finish it in the end but at least he didn't bring it all back up again five minuets later like the expected he might do.

After dinner and what felt like gallons of water and potions to Harry, none of which tasted very nice, he laid down and fell back asleep again before Remus came to see him. He'd slept like a log and it was only when Sirius came in to pester him to visit Harry did he realise how tired he was this month.

"How is he Hagrid?"

"Well he brightened up with some 'tatoe salad and now he's dozed off again. I tell ya' I'm lookin' forward to some shut eye me self."

"Get some sleep if you want I'll keep an eye out. Where's Moody?"

"Getting some fresh air." Hagrid explained gesturing over to Moody leaning one the wall by the window and glaring out at the ward. Remus got the feeling that Podmore was still stood under the cloak over there and although he looked about for Tonks he knew it would probably be very hard to spot her unless something got knocked over all of a sudden.

"What did Dumbledore say?"

"Stay wit' him. Take it in turns to nap, you know." Hagrid shrugged. Clearly he was also very tired and now feeling a bit guilty about going home to nap in a comfy king sized bed when Hagrid had been up all night squashed in that chair.

But after playing on his guilt to get Remus out of bed again, Sirius had assured him that everyone would understand. Remus always looked rough around the full moon so he shouldn't worry so much about it and should go see Harry instead.

"Well you get some shut eye. Mr Weasley's coming here when he finishes work."

"Hay mum, you in?" Tonks called stumbling through the kitchen.

"In here sweetie!" She called as the sounds of Tonks clattering through the kitchen became apparent before finally she flopped herself on the sofa opposite Draco. He'd sat himself on the stool and was reading one of Ted's sporting magazines to try and get his head around some of Harry's odder Quidditch comments but so far had no luck.

"God what a day?"

"Hard day at work sweetie?" Her mum asked turning her needles around to continue knitting. Draco had the horrid feeling that, that jumper she was working on might be for him. Every time he asked Ted he just laughed and teased him about it, and he hadn't the heart to say he'd never wear it in a million years to Andromeda. He didn't want to hurt her feelings after she'd been so nice to him recently. Harry was right he had dropped lucky living here and he didn't want to complain but he was not going to wear that hideous thing in public for any amount of home cooking.

"Not even been to work yet mother."

"No? Why?"

"Harry's not well, I've been in the hospital all day and half the night keeping an eye on him."

"What's wrong with Harry?" Draco suddenly wondered dropping his magazine and looking up.

"He's got wizarding meningitis. Last night he just started going feverish at the Weasleys's. They tried cooling him down but he kept getting worse and started to have a rash so Dumbledore sent him to the hospital with Hagrid. He's out the dangerous stuff now they put him on a normal ward now but he's really not very well Draco."

"I want to go see him."

"Course we can go Draco. Don't look so snappy." Andromeda sighed seeing that streak of his mother impatience popping up again. She didn't like it in him but had to admit. He can't help having a few of his mothers natural personality traits can he.

"Yeah well Harry doesn't have anyone else to visit him. He'll get lonely in hospital on his own."

"I know."

"Well there's no use going to see him today he's fast to sleep and tomorrow he's going to be about as sleepy but the next day he'd be more appreciative if he's awake."

"I guess. Is he going to be ok?"

"Yeah, well with some rest and loads of potions it sounds."

"That's painful isn't it? What he's got?" Draco wondered.

"Yes Draco normally. How did he get it anyway?" Andromeda wondered picking up her knitting again and actually pleased to see Draco concerned for another human being.

"Harry hasn't had any of his potions or any of the muggle shots. He's a walking time bomb. They've put him down for all of them one after another when he gets back to school so this doesn't happen again with something else."

"He won't like that. I've had them there horrid tasting things."

"Yes but if it stops him from getting sick it'll be worth it."

"I know, but they still, they taste mangy. Can I get him something on the way to seeing him?"

"What did you have in mind?" Andromeda asked hoping that Draco remembers he doesn't have the spending money he used to. So far that had been a bit of a come down for him this summer as there seemed to be an awful lot of hanging around the house and laying about the garden and not the same sort of entertaining activities his mother used to send him to do.

Harry had warned him life isn't so easy on the cheap but it's just for a few weeks and then at school it'll be like normal. Only Draco will have to spend his earnings on nice stuff and not his pocket money.

"A book or something. I don't know. He'll get board with nothing to read."

"You said Harry reads a lot. What sorts of things?"

"Every sort of thing. Harry gets through two books a week easily. I don't know how he reads so quickly."

"Well I could do with picking some garden stuff up in Diagon Alley anyway. Ted dear what are you up to?"

"Nothing wifey. Ow." There was a heavy clunk of something dropping to the floor as Ted knocked something off the table.

"You say I'm bad."

"You are just as bad. Now why don't you get some sleep dear? Go lay down on my bed for a while."

"I can't believe you gave him my room." Tonks grumbled kicking her shoes off in the corner and heading for the stairs.

"Your supposed to have left home Nymphadora. It's not my fault your always coming home again."

"Hay stranger how you feeling?"

"Crap!" Harry sighed seeing Draco coming in to his ward with his aunt.

"Hay guess who I found?"

"Hay Harry." Pansy grinned lazily waltzing into the room behind him. Her friend Elsie merely gave a weak sort of smile as normal. Then Harry spotted Draco's aunt Andromeda and got the distinct impression she really didn't approve of Draco's choice of company. Harry wasn't surprised, not many people approved of Pansy but she had a certain way that made him not care so much.

"Well hello again Harry."

"Hello Mrs Tonks."

"Hmm, well don't you look a sight!' She explained as the two girls sat themselves down on the end of Harry's bed and Draco sat in Remus's empty chair. Hagrid was fast to sleep in his usual spot while Moody was stood by the window again watching on closely.

'I'm going to go visit someone else Draco upstairs. I'll be back in an hour so don't make a pest of yourself." She explained giving him a firm look and clutching her hand bag tightly.

"I'll be good." Draco promised, she gave the two girls one last look and then left.

She knew her been there wouldn't help cheer Harry up in the same way. But the way Draco had just happened upon two 15 year old girls hanging about the shops with nothing to do made her suspicious. Nymphadoa had never dressed like that, even if she wasn't one for wearing a skirt.

It wasn't the length that bothered her, both skirts reached the knee sufficiently, it was just the manner and style they had about them. Draco's grin and lack of explanation about Pansy covered everything his aunt needed to know. She was a trollop and that was why Draco like her company so much. Ted just laughed when his wife voiced her concerns saying boys were boys.

"I don't like your aunt so much Draco."

"If you met mine you'd think she was a saint Pansy. Anyway, what are you three doing here?"

"Draco found us so we came to cheer you up, didn't we Elsie."

"Hay Harry."

"Hay Elsie. Anyhow, what have you been up to then?"

"Oh you know this and that, shopping and stuff. Most me family are quiet busy and what not at the minuet so I've been left to me own devices. I'm actually looking forward to going back to school you know. I like my life there, got things to do."

"Yeah me too. I'm getting a bit sick of my aunts, I mean she is really nice. And well. I sort of understand what you've been trying to tell me for years Harry now. But that doesn't mean it's any fun." Draco sighed looking over at Harry.

"I never said it was."

"What's Harry been trying to tell you Draco?" Pansy asked in a sweet and innocent tone that only worked if you blind, def and stupid.

"That I'm a spoilt brat."

"There's nothing wrong with that Draco. Some people are just meant to be spoilt and others aren't."

"That's what I used to say but now. I dunno. Maybe you've got it wrong Harry maybe I just get spoilt in a different way." Draco wondered having spent a lot of time wondering what Harry meant about him been a spoilt brat all the time.

"Don't look at me, I'm only half awake. Me head hurts, me back hurts, I'm covered in bloody spots, that itch, like I don't know what. And not one twats given me a good excuse to be argumentative yet! God I miss been at school sometimes!" Harry groaned leaning his head back on to the headboard and resting it there for a bit.

Now he'd stopped straying into high fevers all the time the itchiness was starting to get to him because he had nothing to do but think about scratching himself. He couldn't even do it because the healers had started to put bubble charms on his hands so he couldn't scratch himself.

"Ah is Harry not very happy."

"No. People are too nice in this place. I always feel guilty if I complain about stuff. Where's a bloody Weasley when you want one!" Harry sighed sitting back up and looking about. Elsie seemed to look nice in her summer skirt. Much nicer than Pansy did.

She never did seem to pull off the tart look that Pansy did, she never really said much when they were chatting and she never seemed to make an opinion about anything. Elsie was just always there with Pansy, they did everything together and Harry was beginning to wonder why. Generally he just thought girls were weird and seemed to come in two types.

Those that needed a mate to help them feel important and the centre of attention all the time. And those that needed a mate to hide behind. He wondered if lads were the same and then started to wonder which one he would be. The brat in the centre of attention or the one that hid behind there friend. All of a sudden through his head started pounding and his ears felt like they were about to explode with all the noise.

"Harry are you ok?" Draco wondered seeing Harry grab his head tightly and rock forward gasping at his breath.

"No." Harry mumbled tears almost coming to his eyes with the pain now he could feel it spreading down in to the base of his neck.

"Harry what do we do?" Draco asked quickly as the two girl's jumped up off the bed.

"Arggh." He squealed curling up into an even tighter ball.

"Draco the bell by his bed!" Elsie pointed out quickly liking arms with Pansy like she wanted at the end of the bed. Draco pushed the button and then started to whack Hagrid so he'd wake up just as Moody suddenly popped up out of no-where with Harry's usual healer.

"Harry is it your head or your spin hurting you?" She asked taking her keys out and unlocking the potion box by Harry's bed. Harry merely nodded.

"Is it both of them Harry?" She asked taking the pillows out from under his head and unscrewing the first bottle.

"Make it stop!" He groaned gasping as he tried to stay in control of the pain. The healer had to admit he was putting up a hell of a fight not to scream the place down like a lot of patients did in this sort of pain threshold.

"Harry drink this." She commanded tipping his head back and opening his mouth. Harry tried his best but chocked on most of the potion. With every gulp some came splashing back but after a few goes it all went down him. Within a few minuets Harry went limp and the healer laid him back down and started to conjured up a few cold bags to put around his neck and shoulders.

"Is he going to be ok?" Elise wondered still holding on to Pansy while Draco, Moody and Hagrid looked on.

"He'll be out cold now for a while. By the time he comes around again visiting hours will be over so you may as well go."

"Err, ok. Can you give him this?" Draco explained putting a paper bag wrapped book on the little table at the foot of his bed.

"Course. Now he really needs to sleep."


	2. Chapter 2

Harry Catches Wizarding Meningitis - Chapter two

"Err, mum where we going today?" Ron wondered coming into the dinning room to find his mother fiddling with the contents of her bag in an attempt to find something that just wasn't there.

"I told you we're going to visit Harry."

"Oh."

"Don't be like that, he won't get many visitors and you're the one that wanted to go out."

"Yeah but I meant the shops."

"We can go get you school stuff another day Ron."

"Yeah I guess it's just Harry..."

"Harry what?" Sirius grumbled popping up by the door frame.

"Well he doesn't much like our company does he?" Ron finished aware it's best not to get in Sirius's bad books if you want to keep Kresher away from you. His mother had discovered the hard way that if you tick Sirius off, Kresher gets left outside your bedroom door for a while.

"Nonsense Ron. Everyone likes visitors when they're in hospital." Molly snapped, Ron still felt quiet sure that Harry would rather someone other than Mrs Weasley came to visit him but it seemed they were all going so he figured at least he'll be able to get a new magazine from the shop with what's left of his pocket money.

"Looks like your going to get your whish after all Harry." Pansy grinned leaning back on the bed a bit.

"What?" Harry wondered glad he was now able to sit with a large t-shirt on and not have his chest exposed to the world. He was working on the idea that if he couldn't see the spots then he didn't want to scratch them but so far it wasn't working. Most the time he sat in his bed but now he was eating more he could manage going all the way to the toilet with a little help there and back so felt more normal than before.

"You've got other guests today Harry." She sighed nodding her head over to where the Weasley's were coming on to the ward with Moody.

"Hello Harry." Mrs Weasley began coming forward first but stopped when she spotted the two girls sat out on Harry's bed.

"We're leaving!" Pansy decided getting up and putting her shoes back on.

"Bye Harry." Elsie added with another sweet smile back at him while Pansy quickly linked arms with her and started a quick march off the ward.

"Who are those girls?"

"The dark haired one's called Pansy mum she's in our year."

"What about the other one with the skirt that's too tight for her?"

"I dunno. Just some lass in Harry's house." Ron shrugged.

"Elsie! Her name Elsie and they've been coming to see me. Brought me the melon but Moody won't let me eat it." Harry sighed gesturing to the carefully carved up melon in a little tub on his side cupboard. Next to it was a bottle of dilute apple juice to mix with his water and a card from them both telling him to get well soon.

"Well you don't know what's in it do you?" Mrs Weasley huffed in her odd superior way that Draco did seem to be getting quiet good at impersonating.

"How are you feeling Harry?" Mr Weasley asked nicely sitting down in the chair next to Harry.

"Tired and itchy." Harry sighed reaching out with a long thin and spotted hand to his little table to pick up the bottle of apple squash to sup.

"Have the migraines calmed down a bit now?"

"Little bit, they don't last so long. It's the itchiness that gets to me most at the minuet." Harry explained looking about. He'd give anything to Sirius with the crowd. He'd even put up with Mrs Weasley if Sirius were there. After half an hour of some slightly uncomfortable chatting Harry was more than relieved that his usual healer had come over with that lovely bottle of lotion to put on his spots.

"I'm afraid your going to have to leave now for a while." She explained firmly taking the first potion bottle out Harry's clear case on the side.

"Why?" Mrs Weasley demanded as the other Weasley children felt they were ready for a good old wonder.

"It's time for his medicine." She explained passing the now open bottle over to Harry and starting to pull the curtain around Harry's bed waiting for Mrs Weasley to move out the way. Harry's ward was actually quiet empty so on the opposite row to him Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, Lupin, Moody and Tonks stood in the far corner where the bed was empty to chat for a while.

"Are you early Hannah?" Harry wondered sitting up and pushing his sheets back a bit so she could help him out his t-shirt.

"I don't know what your talking about Harry." She smiled opening the bottle and dabbing some on to her cotton cloth before starting to apply it to Harry's chest.

"We should have a good 20minuets to talk." Lupin explained sitting down on the chair. The full moon was over now but he still felt rough.

"What's she doing to him?" Mrs Weasley asked curiously.

"Potions for his rash. And then she'll work on his legs to see how far he can bend them and things."

"You just leave him on his own like that?"

"Not at first but his healers quiet nice and we've got Moody watching."

"Oh."

"You seemed to have quiet a few visitors today Harry."

"Yeah, I'm surprised they all came to be honest."

"Those girls were back again to see you I noticed."

"I think they're board and I give them something to do." Harry shrugged a bit as Hannah moved on to the spots on his stomach.

"Oh I don't think that's why they come back so often."

"Now I don't know what your talking about Hannah." Harry frowned looking back at Hannah's knowing smile.

"What's the lighter haired one called?"

"Elise. Why?"

"Oh no reason. She seemed quiet upset when she saw you having a migraine. Didn't you notice?"

"No I was a bit busy with the pain to be honest." Harry explained matter-of-factly.

"Well she was quiet upset went rushing over to her friend, Pansy isn't it."

"Yeah, but there always linked up like that. Never get one with out the other." Harry decided firmly.

"I suppose but she did seem upset when she saw you."

"What you think she likes me?"

"Girls dressed up in summer skirts and make up don't come to visit boys covered in ugly spots like you are unless there's a good reason for it."

"Well I think Moody has a different theory for why they visit."

"Moody's the ex-aura isn't he, always around keeping an eye on you?"

"I don't think the aura stuff ever leaves you some how but yeah."

"Well he does seem very diligent in looking after you. You've got some odd friends about but they all seem determined to make sure your okay." Harry merely laughed at this.

"Well I suppose they must seem a bit odd. Normal people just get relatives coming to visit I guess."

"And girlfriends.' She added with a grin.

'Roll over Harry." Harry did as he was told and rolled over careful not to let any of the precious potion rub off. He always got her to do his chest first because his back was worse and he could just lay there afterwards and let it soak in comfortably.

"So you think that despite me been hideously covered in spots Elsie only comes to visit me coz she fancy's me."

"Well, I may be wrong."

"But why come see me now. And get all dressed up when I'm laid about in me sick bed."

"Because she knows she likes you and there isn't anyone else for you to look at so she looks like the prettiest girl in the room to get your attention. Has she managed it yet Harry?" She wondered seeing Harry's face starting to think it through carefully.

"Well, she's so quiet all the time though. She never really talks to me much."

"Well her friend does have one hell of a gob on her!"

"Yeah but that's just Pansy, she shuts up sometimes you know." Harry explained although he wasn't quiet sure when she did shut up.

"Hmm, your other guests didn't seem to approve of her. Well any of them from what I could tell."

"Those ones that just arrived just don't understand her. That's all. Besides they're all Gryffindor's and they think it's still a big deal what school house your in."

"Well I suppose old loyalties and all that. I'm guessing your in Slytherin then?"

"Yeah. I like it. You don't have to be really good all the time, because your expected to be badly behaved all the time and yet you can say exactly what you think about people without rapping it up in some fake compliment. People are more honest, well they are to me in Slytherin."

"Hmm, well it's a odd thing I'll grant you."

"What house were you in?"

"I was a Hufflepuff."

"Ah well that explains it. You'd be nice to anyone regardless."

"Well I wouldn't say regardless."

"I would, your nice to me. Not a lot of people are you know."

"Well you did tell them all You-know-who's back and frightened them all didn't you."

"He killed someone in front of me. Again! What was I supposed to say?"

"Well, I don't know what to say about that."

"Well you can see for yourself. See that on my side above the..."

"The belt strap mark Harry?"

"Well those lines what do they look like to you?"

"Well, they look like rope burns."

"Look how they rap round me."

"Yeah."

"Would you believe me when I said they were done at least two weeks before that other squarer mark below it?"

"You mean the belt mark Harry?" Harry ignored this comment yet again.

"Well I think the rope that did that was bewitched like the ropes in the prisoners chair in the main courtroom. You know where they tie up all the worst prisoners."

"That would only cause a mark like this if you were struggling against it a lot. And it isn't my area of expertise Harry."

"But you recognise it don't you. And I was struggling a lot at the time." Hannah remained quiet for a while as she finished up the last of the spots on Harry's thighs.

"Can I ask you something Harry?"

"Go ahead as long as you don't stop with the lovely potion on me back."

"Ok then. How come you don't complain about the pain? I've had patients with what you've got and some which were in far less pain than you and they make far more of a fuss. You behave like it's nothing. It's ok to say if it's hurting you know. We're here to make you feel comfortable not just make you well again."

"I suppose that's because it just doesn't feel like real pain to me."

"You don't feel it Harry?"

"Oh no I do. Believe me it's awful that burning feeling in your spine and my head hurts like hell sometimes but. Well I've been in more pain than that before by comparison, so it just doesn't feel so bad. I'm just so glad it isn't as bad as other things and eventually it passes again.' Harry explained calmly.

'But the itching is driving me up the wall why can't I just scratch for a bit? Just five minuets of scratching?"

"No!"

"Oh come on?"

"No! Now you can lay there for a bit and let that soak in. Now I don't care if you won't tell me why you've got those belt marks on you and I won't even put it in the file if you really kick up a fuss but I'm going to get something to take the bruising out I'm sick of looking at them."

"Ok.' Harry sighed and laid his head back down.

'Could you tell them you aren't finished yet please?"

"I guess, seen as I've got some more to do."

"I just don't want them looking at me."

"Honestly, you'll lay in your boxers for me to put potion on you. You'll quiet happily lay there while we strip you off coz you vomited on yourself and yet you don't like people seeing you laid around in your just you bed bottoms."

"Yeah well, I don't like been soaked in sick and your a healer." Harry shrugged and laid out comfy on his bed.

"Thanks Hannah." Harry added finally getting his shirt on over his t-shirt and standing up with everything in his bag.

"No problem. Hope I don't see you in here again soon. And make sure you go to your potions appointment when you're at school."

"I will."

"And don't start scratching."

"I won't." Harry sighed rolling his eyes as Hagrid and Remus waited out in the hallway with Moody and a hidden aura Harry wasn't exactly sure who.

"Here let me carry that." Hagrid added brightly as they headed down towards the lifts. Dumbledore apparently had already signed Harry out and been to visit him several times in the night when Harry was asleep but at the moment that didn't bother him because Hagrid promised they were taking him back to where he came from, which meant Sirius even if it also meant Mrs Weasley. It was quiet a bright sunny day when they walked back.

Moody let Harry stop in the hospital shop for five minuets to buy a few magazines to keep him happy while he was 'resting', but Remus noticed there was also a considerably amount of munchies in the bag Hagrid was given to carry. They walked quiet steadily back but by the time they got to the last few streets to Grimmauld Place Harry was really flagging and couldn't keep up with the pace. Moody made the quick decision not to hang around round here so Hagrid carried him the last bit to the house.

"Harry! Err, why you carrying him?"

"He's tired nearly dozed off when we were walking." Remus explained as Hagrid put Harry down and Sirius steered him into the living room for some tea.

"You still a bit tired Harry?"

"Yeah but I'm gonna try and last out a while longer yet before napping. I end up been awake half the night and sleepy at breakfast otherwise." Harry yawned.

"You had your hair cut Harry?"

"Yeah we were wondering what the bag of hair was about Moody." Fred explained.

"Can't have his hair laying about the place someone could keep it for polyjuice potion." Moody grumbled as if it were obvious. After the barber had cut Harry's locks off for him Moody had carefully collected every last strand and bagged it up.

"What do you think Sirius?"

"It's a bit short Harry?" Mrs Weasley decided helpfully as she pored the tea out.

"You said it was too long before."

"You cut your hair coz me mother said it was too long?" Ron asked blankly.

"No, the girls suggested it. Besides it was getting in me way and me head itched like mad." Harry explained plainly.

"You still covered in spots?"

"Not in the same way. I've got some potions and stuff I'm supposed to take for a while."

"Oh where?"

"Moody's got them." Harry explained as Moody past over the little box of potions and bottle of lotion. Remus promised him Sirius would do it and not Mrs Weasley for as long as was necessary or at least until he went back to school.

There were a few occasions where Mrs Weasley tried to accidentally force her way in to the room when Sirius was dabbing lotion on Harry's back. Harry had to admit that he wasn't as delicate as Hannah was at doing it but that didn't necessarily mean it was a bad thing. Sirius would let him lay on his belly all after noon with his back in the breeze if he wanted. It was only Mrs Weasley who seemed intent on having him down stairs with everyone else.

After seeing Harry actually so very sick and listening in to Remus and Moody talking to Sirius, Podmore and Tonks about what Harry had told Hannah about his pain threshold. How he could cope with it because it wasn't as bad as other things. The Weasley boys seemed to make the effort not to argue with Harry so much and Ron even made the bold step of offering to play chess with Harry for the afternoon. Harry was normally much better at it than today but even on a good day he was sure it would be very hard to beat Ron. Ron liked the challenge and then actual beating of Harry at something, and Harry liked the fact that Ron was actually trying to include him in something.

Neither thought it would last as soon as they got to the train station but at least for the last two weeks of the summer holidays they weren't act each others throats and could argue about Quidditch teams and ugly girls something Sirius found quiet amusing. They couldn't discuss who they fancied but they could laugh at who they thought was the ugliest girl in the school quiet happily.

"Hay Harry." Draco called wondering over to the barrier with his aunt and Tonks.

"Draco." Harry replied heading over to him a bit more as Moody pushed the two boys through the barrier quickly together. As per usual they started to steer towards there own friends to the left where Slytherins always gathered and Moody had the uncomfortable feeling he was surrounded by half the offspring of half the people he put in Azkaban.

The other half he was still working on and they seemed to realise it. Eventually he decided to make a quick retreat back to the safety of the Gryffindor side of the platform something Podmore found highly amusing from his half hidden spot further down. Andromeda however had no fear of walking into the gaggle of chatting Slytherins to pull her nephew out.

Draco realising he'd been collared so quickly moved well over to one side to say good-bye to her and after getting a little kick said thank you for the stuff.

"That's quiet ok Draco. Now please try and stay out of trouble, you two Harry."

"We will. Well, we'll try to as best as we can."

"I've seen that look before Harry. Anyway you can come visit if you like just write to me. But if not you can come and stay next summer. I'll even give you Nymphi's room again."

"Oi!"

"You moved out!" Her mother snapped firmly, she'd been trying to empty that room of Tonks junk for years and hadn't managed it. Draco might just give her the perfect excuse to empty it at last.

"Well I'll write to you then. Tell you what me new subjects are like." Draco decided as Andromeda gave him a little hug and sent the two boys on there way.

"Dad how come after everything that happened last year. And everything that's going off. Harry still goes over there and mixes with that lot and ignores us. I mean. He spent nearly all the summer with us." Ron asked quietly in the corner.

"Because Ron, he has to sleep in the same room as four other boys when every single one of them has a father on Voldermort's inner circle. He has to be very brave around them and not let them think it frightens him. You saw Moody make a quick retreat from them didn't you! Harry can't do that he has to just live with it, which is why he's a bit off sometimes. Aside from Draco, Harry can't really trust his friends very far." Mr Weasley explained quietly back.

"That just doesn't feel right does it?" Remus sighed seeing Crabb and Goyle humph Harry's case up into the carriage while all the other Slytherin students ganged together laughing and joking about there summers with not a care in the world, all interested to see how Harry is.

Everyone else on the platform was either well away from them in there own little groups or there parents were feeling the strain of all sorts of things possibly going off at the moment. But the burning question on a lot of people's minds was. What do the Slytherin's know that no one else does? Why are they so happy to go back to school?

"So then boys how was your last few weeks of the holidays?"

"Well mine were boring, best thing that happened was Ted knocked a great big hole in the wall." Draco explained opening his bag to see what his aunt had packed up for him.

"I still can't believe it. You, of all people Draco living with a muggle."

"Well me aunt's a pureblood. And I've got to live somewhere."

"Yeah but still couldn't you have found anywhere else to live?"

"My dad cut me off with no money. Me mum disowned me. So I had to leave. Lucky I got that bag of gold when I did."

"Yeah I know but why?"

"Honestly Pansy, me dad tried to kill Harry. And well, he was never very nice really..." Draco trailed off. He'd been worried about this all summer. What were people going to say? He built his whole reputation on his father.

"Draco picked me over his dad that's all. He's still the same only he thinks I'm more important."

"Yeah I guess. My dad's been a bit weird. Mum says everyone in our crowd has been talking about you leaving home. Apparently your dad says it's just a faze and you'll come home soon enough."

"Well he's wrong. I'm not going home. Besides I can stop at school with Harry for what nearly 11 months I don't have to worry about him for ages yet!"

"What does your dad say Crabb?"

"Won't talk to me. I've been with Goyle or summer."

"My dad's the same. I never see him. Mum just tells us when dinner's ready and then sits in her parlour with his mum."

"Mine just gives me money and lets me go off and do as I want. Tells me not to talk about anything or anyone I might see in our house and that I shouldn't think about it too much.' Pansy sighed.

'I tries asking about things and what not but she won't tell me anything. Say's it for me own good that I don't get involved."

"Everyone's been saying that Harry." Elsie explained quickly while Pansy did a bit of a dramatic sigh.

"So what about those Weasley's you arrived with?"

"Do not get me started on those bloody Weasley's?"

"Yeah but why were you with them?"

"They're friends of Dumbledore. He put me with them for the rest of the summer after I was in hospital."

"Why?"

"Well me aunt weren't gonna have me back. I had no say in it at all. I mean I like Hagrid, and Remus is really quiet nice but them god it were awful!"

"When you don't have to worry about werewolf stuff?"

"Well he is alright, bit dozy round the full moon but Remus is a decent bloke. I told you he used to hang around with my dad when he was at school. But I couldn't go live with him and Dumbledore won't come and talk to me himself so I just got dumped with them. I swear I see one more fucking red head moaning at me I'm gonna..." Harry merely groaned and leaned his head back on the window. The train had just pulled out the station now so Draco and Pansy suddenly got up.

"Where are you two going?" Elsie wondered innocently.

"We're prefects now, got to go down to the front carriage and here all about it and stuff. You know Coke made head boy this year!"

"Really!"

"Yeah, so hopefully it'll be alright. See you later Elsie."

"Yeah see you Harry. Get us some beans when the women comes past will ya?"

"All right but I'm starting a tab with you."

"Come on were mates Harry!"

"Fine."

"Crabb, Goyle what you up to?"

"Scaring first years."

"Oh well maybe later. I want to read the paper." Harry shrugged calmly pulling it out of his bag and putting it on the table. The two foot bigger boys flinched there muscles and then headed down the corridor for something to do leaving Harry and Elsie suddenly alone. It hadn't occurred to Harry they would be until she suddenly swapped sides and sat next to him.

"Can I read the paper with you Harry?" She asked sweetly flicking her hair over her shoulder a bit.

"Yeah sure.' Harry opened up onto the first page but didn't seem so very interested in it now all the little comments Hannah had made started flooding to his thoughts and he started to wonder.

'Elsie?"

"Yes Harry."

"How come you came to visit so often when I was ill?"

"Pansy told you Harry. Coz there was nothing much to do."

"I know. But why did you come?"

"Well, I err, didn't want you to get lonely Harry. Draco couldn't go that often so. Well..." She trailed off now Harry had started to stroke at her hair a bit. It was much longer than Pansy's and hung down well over her shoulders.

"You've got very soft hair Elsie."

"Thanks Harry. Do you like the blonde I had put in it." She explained pulling her hair around to show him the highlights.

"Yes.' Harry half sighed stroking at her hair a bit more before letting his fingers slide down on to her shoulder and push the cardigan off a bit to show her bare shoulder blades.

'You've got soft skin as well you know." Harry continued pushing the cardigan off some more so he could run his fingers right down her arm over the rest of the sleeve to touch at her hand. Just then though the door opened and Coke himself walked in and sat down opposite them.

"Potter." He nodded surveying them both aware he ruined something but really not caring.

"Coke. Err, what you want?"

"Quidditch Potter. We lost flint so we need another chaser. Any thoughts."

"Who was that lad that tried out with Draco? You know in 6th year with the dreads. Wesley isn't it."

"Nice call Potter. But what about younger? Any of the third or fourth years showing some promise yet?"

"Can't say until I've seen them fly? Have we still got Flints old broom?"

"Sort of we've got his Nimbus but he said he might come get it unless we're really desperate this year for brooms. Shame Draco can't wag another one off his dad. But, oh well, everyone's got a twat of a father unless he's dead course." He added as a throw away comment. Harry wasn't offended really by Coke he always had that odd sort of way about him. He didn't mean to be rude most the time, he just was and if he meant to be rude then you really knew about!

"Hmm."

"Anyway I'll let you know when we go for a try out. I hope nothing too much happens this year. I wanna go out with a bang!"

"Yeah I know the feeling. Congrats on making Head Boy."

"Yeah me dad were so proud. Slytherin's don't normally get picked."

"I noticed that. How many years has it been now?"

"To many." Coke added getting up and heading to the door without another word. Harry turned back to get cosy with Elsie, he hoped he could carry on from where they left off but wasn't sure how to. Elsie seemed determined though regardless and put his hand back on top her hers like it was before and smiled.

"You know your hair is quiet soft too you know." She decided stroking Harry's new short hair. It had grown a bit he was sure since having it cut but it was still noticeably shorter than before, only now it seemed to have lost it's shaven feel round the back a bit.

"Thanks I condition." He grinned back at her as yet again they heard the door open.

"Ahh look at the two together." Draco sighed in a mock dreamy fashion.

"Oh your back!" Harry groaned sitting back square in his seat. Any chance of making out with Elsie like he wanted had definitely been ruined with Draco and Pansy sat opposite them. Pair of them had a grin and Harry was sure to blush so picked up the paper again.

"Yeah. Didn't ruin anything did we?" Pansy added making herself comfortable like lady muck next to Draco. Fortunately despite Draco defecting from his fathers lead, he was still a Quidditch boy and still Harry best friend so he mixed with the right people to keep Pansy's attention. Harry had long since surpassed Draco as been top dog of his year and one above so it suited her to keep close to him. Harry had never really taken to any of her advances so she'd settled on Draco and now her friend was doing as she was told and working on Harry for a change things looked set for a reasonably easy year. All she had to do was keep Harry happy and she was protected again.

"No course not Draco.' Harry sighed more than a little sarcastically making the two girls smile to one another.

'So do we know who's the knew Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher yet?"

"Well, not Snape. He applied."

"He always applies."

"Yeah, well bets are it's a ministry person. After last year the ministry want someone keeping an eye on Dumbledore and on the spot. And yet they still deny anything ever happened in a graveyard."

"Tell me about it. I'm guessing no one in our lot can really say anything to back me up." Harry sighed still not sure how to play this out yet. Harry was hoping with Coke as top dog now people would follow his lead of business as usual but he hadn't really spoken to a lot of the crowd yet.

"Well we believe you Harry. And well, to us it is obvious but well. Who else wants to believe it?"

"How do you stand with the hole Voldermort trying to kill Harry and what not?" Draco finally asked as clearly Harry wasn't going to.

"School's school Harry, what can we do about it? You show me one Slytherin with a comfy Gryffindor home. Everyone is panicking because he's back. There all trying to prove themselves again to everyone and we're all getting shoved to the side."

"Harry we stick together Slytherin's regardless. Slytherin is the family!" Coke explained coming in and sitting down with two other older students. They'd been looking for Harry to set things off on the right foot.

"You sure. Things are only going to get worse. He'll start killing more people soon. He's in the mood for it I'm sure." Harry looked worried. Draco could see it, Elsie and Pansy could see it but Coke could see the determination in Harry's eyes. He won't role over and die that's for sure.

"What else do half of us have Harry? Pansy said it, you show me a Slytherin with a comfy home. I bet you at least half of these lot don't go home more than once this year. We stick together now more than ever. Bollocks to Dumbledore he's done nothing to help us so we have to help ourselves."

"You know I haven't really seen him since he asked me a load of questions. Then he argued with Fudge and we had a bit of a chat about the odd thing but he hasn't spoken to me since. Just dumped me at home and left me there."

"What about when you were sick? We all heard you got put in hospital."

"Yeah I never saw him he came when ever I was asleep and you know why I was ill. You know I live with fucking muggles well they never let me have any of me shots. I'm not immune to stuff like meningitis, polio, and all that. And then at school I never had any of the wizarding potions either so I was just abandoned on both sides then apparently I nearly died or got paralysed because by sheer chance I caught one of the most dangerous wizarding things that most people are completely inoculated against by the time they're 8 years old. Old fool, I'm sick of him already and I haven't even got to Hogwarts yet!"

"Are you gonna get them though?"

"Yeah I'll get them all over the next few months at school. Apparently he's finally sorted it. Bit late really isn't it." Coke merely rolled his eyes in agreement this was going to be one hell of a year.

"So what do you think to this Umbridge? Doesn't seem to like you much does she?" Draco decided as they wondered back to the dungeons.

"What, no I guess she's the plant for the ministry?"

"Yeah looks that way. I wonder what's she's gonna teach like. Doubt it would be anything like the last one."

"What oh no I doubt it?"

"Harry are you paying attention or what?"

"Yeah I'm just tired she went on and on that one I was hungry." Harry explained finally turning and looking at Draco for the first time in several minuets.

"Hmm, well first year induction init, wanna watch?"

"From stairs Draco." Harry added as they headed through the common room where the first years were all waiting and leaned on the balcony heading up to the boys dorms.

"Right then you little shits. Think your gonna be Slytherin's do you! Think you've got what it takes to earn your place inside these five walls." The 6th year prefect began while plenty of other students sat about looking as intimidating as possible to the 10 little first years. Coke was busy in the corner with various bits of paper one of which was the list of new students he was looking through with his fellow 7th year prefect also well known for been his bird and equally as ambitious as he was. They made a very good team and to the Slytherin's it was no wonder he was head boy, quidditch captain and generally all round top dog at everything. Several 2nd year students were there just glad it wasn't there turn this time. Harry watched the first bit where they all gave there names but headed off to bed quiet early.

Harry's first day was a bit odd as usual. He wasn't quiet used to been at school, having got used to doing nothing but by dinner time he was normally in the swing of it but then he sat opposite Elise and Pansy for dinner and afterwards things just went down hill. He missed a direct question and lost points, then he almost walked into a wall and had to be saved by Draco and then he blew up a bench just before dinner when they were out getting some fresh air in the last of the sunshine.

Sat down in the common room straight after dinner Harry was trying to read his book but so far he kept re-reading the same few pages, often found him self a bit lost and just staring at the page and generally very easily distracted from his reading. So far he could not work out why this was getting to him. Elise was nice yeah, she was also rather pretty but for some reason she was all he could think about and it was driving him up the wall. Coke however was also getting annoyed by how easily Harry was getting distracted. He was an imperative part of the quidditch team, he was also going to be a turning point for all the Slytherin's this year. Coke had more than enough sense to work out things were going to be mad this year especially with this Umbridge women denying what generally was common knowledge in the Slytherin camp. Deciding he'd step in because clearly Harry would rather day dream than do and fanny about for a while he got up and grabbed Harry by the arm dragging him over to where Elsie was sat with a few other girls including Pansy.

"Elise isn't it?" He asked firmly plonking Harry in front of her, he was lost in his day dream still clearly, as he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing.

"Err yeah."

"Good, take him, make out with, let him play with you, give him a sodding blow job, screw him and if you must put on a French maids outfit, bend over and let him slap you on the arse a few times, let him. Do whatever it is he's gagging for so desperately! And you do it now, and stop him from spending all his bloody time thinking about doing it to you. Let him get it out of his system. Now go!" He commanded as Pansy pushed Elsie to her feet and Coke moved the pair over to the door.

"But I..." She started quietly seeing Harry smiling at her strangely glad he was been embarrassed and shoved out the room.

"If your worried about potions just fuck him and I'm give you something to sort it out later now bog off the pair of you!" He commanded closing the door behind them and went to sit back down and his private table.

"Don't you think that was a little bit too hands on?"

"No, he'd sit there all week like that before going up to talk to her. I did him a favour. Besides, she likes him." Coke shrugged and went back to what he was doing while a first year poured him coffee out regularly so his cup was never more than half empty.

"Err, maybe we should go for a walk Harry?" Elise decided holding Harry's hand now.

"Err you know Coke he's a bit, err..." Harry began but wasn't quiet sure what to say.

"Coke's coke. He doesn't let things get in his way.' Elise decided.

'Err, do you want to sit in here for a bit?" She wondered gesturing to the storage room Pansy had told Elise was the best place to take Harry when they finally go out for an evening stroll. Harry feeling a little nervous pulled himself together and opened the door for her. From the outside you couldn't see in much because it was so dark but once you'd move to the left a bit away from the door the moonlight filled up the room and gave it a wonderfully magic feel that Harry always loved about Hogwarts. It was that homely feel he got in Hogwarts and never any where else.

"Err..." Harry began but Elsie merely pushed up for a kiss.

"Quiet you, otherwise Coke will have a right go at me."

"No I won't let him." Harry tried to explain but soon found himself been pushed back against the desk for another kiss. After a few seconds of been overloaded with soft tongue he pulled his hands up to hang on to her waist and keep her close to him.

"Hmm. I wanted to do that before but people kept barging in on the train." She giggled quietly.

"Yeah well you've got soft hair. And soft skin. Is it all that soft Elsie?" Harry wondered bringing his down a bit to the join between her skirt hanging off her hips and her un-tucked shirt. Harry found the gap quiet easy and slipped his two hands in to hold the bottom of her back.

"Harry, you've got cold hands."

"Then warm them up." Harry grinned going in for another kiss. This one however last a bit longer as Harry turned Elsie around and moved her up against the wall wedged tight up against him.

"Your horny Harry!" She grinned feeling

"Yeah well I can't do anything about that." Harry half whimpered between kisses.

"I can." She teased sliding her hand round to his belt and un-doing it slightly to slip her fingers in.

"Hmm. You don't have to." Harry started.

"I want to Harry." She explained as he stopped protesting and let her get a better grip of him.

"So what you been doing?" Draco asked sitting up on his bed with a magazine and waiting for Harry to come up to bed. Knott was already sleeping and Crabb was still shuffling around as he dozed off to sleep where as Goyle was asleep before his big head reached the pillow like normal.

"Nothing." Harry shrugged sheepishly and flopped on the bed to get undressed with his back to Draco.

"Coke won't like that. I believe his exact words were 'Do whatever he's so desperately gagging for'!' Draco teased.

'I can't believe he did that to you." Draco continued to giggle quietly sitting on the edge of his bed now.

"Don't remind me. I bet you all had a good old laugh when we'd gone didn't you."

"Yes!"

"What did you do all evening then?"

"Talked with Pansy about you and laughed at your face when Coke slammed the door on you both. That was a classic that!"

"Don't you normally have something better to do with Pansy? Last year you were always wondering around after her."

"Yeah but I grew out of that Harry. That was last year. This year I'm only gonna make out with her when I haven't got nothing better to do."

"I thought you only went to the ball with her because you couldn't get anyone else!"

"Yeah well, you bogged off with bloody Veronica and Flint nabbed her mate. Left me right on me own half the time. And then what was that business with Hermione about?"

"I told you all about that Draco last year." Harry sighed turning around to face Draco now as he pulled his trousers and socks off but was suddenly met by a load of giggling.

"Your neck Harry. Next time I'd best send you out with a snack box to keep her happy." He laughed as Harry chucked the pillow at him and then stole it back again to climb into bed and go to sleep. At last the rest of the spots had gone off his back, or at least Sirius assured him they had the other morning when he looked.

"Harry I hope we aren't going to have no more day dreaming from you now?" Coke smiled in a scary sort of way as he suddenly sat down next to Harry at breakfast the next morning.

"No. You kind of ruined that, everyone keeps laughing at me."

"Harry you were like a little randy puppy and someone had to get you some. Besides, now they'll all be jealous of you."

"No, I think there still laughing." Harry decided looking at Draco's eagerly nodding head on the other side of him. They hadn't seen Elsie and Pansy that morning yet having gone down to breakfast early like normal to miss the crowd a bit.

"Anyway, I've picked out a few choices for Flints spot. Have a look over the list and then practice is tomorrow night. Don't get detention Draco!"

"What, why do you always look at me when you say that?" Draco complained, Coke however merely gave him a pained look and continued on with his list of things to talk about.

"Watch out for Umbridge Harry, I think you may have some trouble with her."

"Why?"

"Well the fourth years had her yesterday and she's definitely a ministry plant. No practical stuff ever in her lessons. Just plain old reading from the most pathetic text book I've ever seen."

"I know I thought that was a joke or the wrong one or something. I've read most of it and I new more than that in me first year."

"Just watch yourself Harry. If she's gonna go after anyone it'll be Dumbledore's pets and you." Coke gave Harry a serious look and then looking up at Umbridge surveying over the tables from her spot he moved on to sit further down with his girlfriend leaving Elsie to come and sit next to him.

"Hay Harry." She smiled sitting up next to him and picking up some toast.

"Harry mail!" Draco called as Harry looked up for Hedwig. She came swooping in with the rest of the owls and landed with a little clunk on the table between Draco and Harry. She had a little parcel tied to her leg but held it out for Draco.

"What you bringing stuff for him for?" Harry asked stroking Hedwig's back and feeding her a little snipped of bacon.

"Oh it's from me aunt Harry." Draco explained having a quick look at the parcel and then shoving it in his bag before anyone teased him about it. No one did.

The next owl to drop down by them was carrying the morning paper that flew off the moment Harry had given it the money. Followed by and equally large brown owl carrying the Quibbler.

"Oh you still like to read that Harry."

"Yeah well it's quiet good sometimes. Besides it's not that expensive."

"Speak for yourself." Draco sighed.

"Draco you'll get used to been poor eventually." Harry sighed back at him before turning back to Elsie who'd just got her own little package from home.

"What you got?" Pansy wondered leaning in next to her a bit annoyed she ended up sat on the end now.

"Oh, some bits I left on the side and a letter from me mum."

"What's she want to talk to you now about?" Pansy wondered shaking her head in some disbelief and going back to her breakfast. Harry thought this was a bit unfair even for Pansy, surely Elsie's mum had allsorts of reasons to talk to her daughter.

"Dunno." Elsie wondered opening it up and starting to read.

"Don't look at me like that Harry. Elsie's mum has hardly spoken to her all summer. Just goes out all day and leaves her on her own with a bit of money for entertainment. You ended up spending nearly every dinner with me just for company didn't you."

"My mum has been a bit odd lately. She didn't seem to mind what time I came in and hardly noticed when I stopped out all night at Pansy's a few times."

"Oh." Harry wondered feeling a little uncomfortable that he never asked about Elsie's home life.

"See. Well at least they didn't turf you out like Draco's mum did."

"Yeah. Well we're at school now so it doesn't matter does it." Elsie decided putting the letter away and brightening up a bit.

Harry looked across at Elsie when ever he was actually eating while Draco looked over at Ron and his friends huddled up and chatting away about something serious. Harry had a fair idea he knew what it was about and wondered about what he should say to them, if anything at all.

Thanks for reading, please review for me, anything helpful is welcome.


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